Saudi prince offers 100 Bentleys to fighter pilots?

A Saudi billionaire has caused a storm on social media, after reportedly offering 100 luxury cars to 100 Saudi fighter pilots who took part in a bombing campaign in Yemen, according to a report by the BBC.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced the end of the first phase of its military campaign of airstrikes in Yemen -- called "Operation Decisive Storm" – which had the aim of preventing Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, taking over the country.

Yasser Al-Zayyat | AFP | Getty Images

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

Responding to the announcement, Saudi businessman Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is reported to have tweeted to his 3.1 million followers: "In appreciation of their role in this operation, I'm honoured to offer 100 Bentley cars to the 100 Saudi (fighter) pilots."

The tweet – which was subsequently deleted -- caused a frenzy on Twitter, with more than 28,000 people sharing his post and over 5,000 liking it, the BBC reported. Screenshots of the original tweet exists online; some Saudi media have since reported that the prince's Twitter account was hacked.

While several Saudis said the pilots deserved luxury automobiles - and more - for their military service, others were not so impressed by the reported offer, pointing to the increasing destruction and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.